It’s no secret that the Pittsburgh Steelers need to upgrade at wide receiver, and they may look to do so in free agency. One of the top options available is Tampa Bay Buccaneers WR Chris Godwin, and with Pittsburgh’s hole at receiver, The 33rd Team’s Tyler Brooke named the Steelers one of the best fits for Godwin as a free agent.
Brooke likes the idea of pairing Godwin with George Pickens, as Godwin can work underneath while Pickens can take advantage of opportunities down the field.
“That’s not talking about Pittsburgh’s quarterback situation, but pairing Godwin with a deep-threat outside receiver. George Pickens thrives in those situations, but the lack of firepower on the rest of the Steelers’ offense has allowed opponents to shut down their No. 1 option, leading to frustration and a lack of explosive plays and points on the board.”
Brooke writes that signing Godwin would make the Steelers offense look “significantly more competent.”
Godwin’s only 28, but he’s coming off a dislocated ankle that he suffered in Week 7 and ended his season. He also tore his ACL in 2021, and his injury history is something that could drive his market down. Even though he only managed to play in seven games last season, he had 50 catches for 576 yards and five touchdowns, and the three seasons prior he went for over 1,000 yards.
There’s no doubt that Godwin, if healthy, would be a big upgrade for Pittsburgh’s wide receiver room. As Brooke notes, his skillset would work well with Pickens. He played with a similar type of receiver in Mike Evans in Tampa Bay, and the two were a dangerous 1-2 punch, and the hope would be that he could have the same level of success with Pickens.
For Pittsburgh, the concern is going to be paying Godwin. While the Steelers have the cap space to do it, they may not want to commit to a receiver coming off a serious lower-body injury. PFF projects Godwin to get a three-year, $60 million deal with $40 million guaranteed. That structure with lower guarantees and more incentive-based pay or pay for games played would likely need to be figured out if the Steelers are committing to Godwin, and it wouldn’t be a surprise if whoever signed him made sure they had some protection if he isn’t the same player post-injury.
He’s still one of the best players available on the market, and signing Chris Godwin would make the Steelers a much better team. PFF also listed Godwin as a free agent the Steelers need to sign, and if they can get it done, the offense would take a step forward. But there’s always a risk signing a player coming off a serious injury, and the Steelers would have to hope that it doesn’t affect Godwin long-term.
